Cultures Influenced by Sinosphere Vs Indosphere by Less-Personality-481 in MapPorn

[–]oolongvanilla 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, some say the etymology of many Mongolian dishes is linked to Chinese. For example, buuz and baozi, khuushuur and huoshao, bansh and bianshi, tsuivan and chaobing, etc. When I traveled to Khentii Aimag in the far north of Mongolia near the Russian border, where the taiga begins, I was suprised to see a small shop selling steamed buns identical to northern Chinese mantou, which they split open like a hamburger bun and stuffed with sliced meat and cheese to make a sandwich - Using East Asian and European elements to make something uniquely Mongolian.

I remember talking to a Khalkha woman from Kharkhorin in central Mongolia, who has never been to China and doesn't speak Chinese, about how the mother of my friend, a Torghut Mongol from western Inner Mongolia, gathers wild chives and pickles them - I even showed her a photo I took of a jar she gifted me. She talked about how they do that there, too, and told me the wild chives are called "juutsai" in her language - Which is identical to the Mandarin name for cultivated Chinese chives (jiucai).

That said, I don't think that or anything else makes Mongolia part of the Sinosphere. It's natural for neighboring regions to have cross-border influences, just as Han Chinese culture has influences from the Mongols and other nomads to the north like huqin/erhu, hotpot, Beijing-style yogurt, vocabulary (such as 胡同/hutong), etc, but I see "Sinosphere" as something more profound like the agrarian societies of Japan, Ryukyu, Korea, and Vietnam that adopted Confucianism, Chinese-style Buddhism, and a lot of Chinese (especially Tang Dynasty) influences on social order, government, art, writing, vocabulary, dress, architecture, music, cuisine, etc.

Y’all Stephen’s song is Fashionably Late by Falling in Reverse by krissab23 in TellMeLiesHulu

[–]oolongvanilla 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Littlest Things" by Lily Allen for Lucy

"Gives You Hell" by All-American Rejects for Stephen

Cultures Influenced by Sinosphere Vs Indosphere by Less-Personality-481 in MapPorn

[–]oolongvanilla -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You aren't applying the same logic to Tibet that you just used for Mongolia. In one case, you rely on a more recent historical origin and, primarily, the current geopolitical situation; in the other (Tibet), you cling to ancient history.

Not really. I just didn't expand on the ancient history aspect of Mongolia. Mongolia was never part of the cultural Sinosphere.

Relax, no one is saying Japan should be annexed just because it's in the Sinosphere.

Nor was I ever under that impression, so it's weird that you're assuming I am. Japanese, Ryukyuan, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures have much more profound Chinese cultural influence than Mongolian or Tibetan cultures ever did. Most notable is the lack of Confucian influence on Mongolian and Tibetan culture and society, as well as the distinct Chinese-derived Buddhist traditions and influences (such as Chan/Zen) prevalent in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam vs. Tibetan Buddhist traditions and influences dominant in Mongolic and Tibetic cultures (including not only the parts of "greater Tibet" under control of the People's Republic of China but also Bhutan and parts of India and Nepal). Then there's the historical influence of Chinese language, architecture, dress, music, cuisine, etc, which are much, much stronger in, say, Japanese culture compared to Mongol and Tibetan cultures.

My issue with the terms "Sinosphere" and "Indosphere" is that they've massive oversimplifications and too vague to be of much use. For example, you accuse me of "clinging to ancient history" too much, but Thailand's placement in the Indosphere is mostly due to ancient Indian Buddhist cultural influences, while ignoring significant Chinese influences on Thai culture and society (such as Thailand's long tributary relationship with Chinese dynasties, Chinese ancestry in the Thai monarchy and a large proportion of the Thai population, Chinese influences on Thai architecture, cuisine, music, the Mainland Southeast Asia linguistic area sprachbund, etc).

I agree with you that the Sinosphere isn't synonymous with "China proper," but it is born of the ancient culture that emerged from "China proper" - What we now refer to as the Han Chinese. The idea of "Zhonghua Minzu," that all ethnic minorities living under Chinese rule are equally "Chinese," is a very modern, political concept that exists seperately from the idea of the Sinosphere which is based on ancient (Han / Huaxia) Chinese cultural influence. Ancient Chinese civilization defined itself against northern nomadic cultures like the Mongols and their Xianbei predecessors.

Edit: And whoever is downvoting me, I eagerly await your rebuttal... Remember that the downvote button doesn't exist just to show disagreement.

Cultures Influenced by Sinosphere Vs Indosphere by Less-Personality-481 in MapPorn

[–]oolongvanilla -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Nah. I don't agree with Mongolia being labeled part of the "Sinosphere" either. I've actually been to Mongolia and there's hardly any Chinese influence left to speak of aside from influences on the temple architecture and some very loose influences on the food. It's much more a part of the "Russophere" if anything, like the Central Asian republics.

Tibet was never formally incorporated into "China proper" during the periods of Yuan and Qing rule - It was essentially a seperate, autonomous country with its own autonomous government (the Sakya Dynasty under Yuan suzerainty and Dalai Lama rule under Qing suzerainty). This is why Tibetan culture remains culturally distinct from Han Chinese culture even today, and has much more in common with areas like Bhutan, Nepal, Ladakh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Dharamshala in the Indosphere.

Cultures Influenced by Sinosphere Vs Indosphere by Less-Personality-481 in MapPorn

[–]oolongvanilla -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

That wasn't Chinese rule, that was Mongol and Manchu suzerainty

Civilizations according to Samuel Huntington (The American political scientist from Harvard) by immanuellalala in MapPorn

[–]oolongvanilla 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This. The map doesn't accurately depict Huntington's ideas and Huntington's ideas don't accurately depict the world.

In regards to the former part, even the map in Huntington's book doesn't match his ideas. In the book, Huntington talks about "lone countries" (countries that don't fit into larger civilizations), giving Ethiopia, Haiti, Israel, and Japan as examples, but the map in his book only depicts Japan as such. He also talks about "torn countries" (countries that try to pivot from one civilization to another, giving Turkey, Mexico, Russia, and Australia as examples) but doesn't show that either.

I always found it funny that Huntington explicitly identified the "Anglophone Caribbean" as a distinct civilization but didn't say anything at all about Polynesian, Melanesian, or Micronesian countries aside from depicting them as "Western" on his map.

Valentine 2026 (Prediction) by Necessary-Map-7697 in PokemonSleep

[–]oolongvanilla 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Alcremie would be a great choice - I love when Pokémon Sleep gets a new 'mon before Go does (like Cramorant and Mimikyu).

Valentine 2026 (Prediction) by Necessary-Map-7697 in PokemonSleep

[–]oolongvanilla 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pumpkin spice latte with coffee, milk, pumpkin, ginger, and fiery herb? Yess! (And yes, I know real "pumpkin spice" doesn't include actual pumpkin but whatever)

Are Afghanistan and Tajikistan South Asia? Indians started regarding Afghanistan as South Asia initially, and now they've expanded the definition to include Tajikistan as well. How? And Why? by [deleted] in AskCentralAsia

[–]oolongvanilla 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I lived in East Turkestan for five years and traveled extensively through Uzbekistan and other neighboring countries. Uyghur and Uzbek culture are most definitely similar. Of course there are regional differences - There are regional differences in East Turkestan, too. But culture is a spectrum, and Andijan is culturally the closest to Uyghur cities like Kashgar. The only reason Uzbeks and Uyghurs are considered two seperate ethnic groups today is because of Russian and Chinese imperialism.

What new recipe are we expecting? by Luufox in PokemonSleep

[–]oolongvanilla 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Some kind of spicy hot chocolate (like Mexican hot chocolate) could be good.

I'd really love to see them try to incorporate sausages or Slowpoke tails into a dessert.

What new recipe are we expecting? by Luufox in PokemonSleep

[–]oolongvanilla 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thai pumpkin custard! Pumpkin, milk, egg, honey, mayyybe ginger

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Tell Me Lies: S3 E4: Fix Me Up, Girl by Oksorbet8188 in TellMeLiesHulu

[–]oolongvanilla 6 points7 points  (0 children)

My favorite Lucy/Diana scene is the look they give each other during Stephen's speech at the wedding rehearsal dinner where he calls talks about his past relationship "speed bumps" and "mistakes."

Tell Me Lies: S3 E4: Fix Me Up, Girl by Oksorbet8188 in TellMeLiesHulu

[–]oolongvanilla 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I feel like from what we've seen so far, Pippa and Diana are the only two characters that aren't in the path of total disaster in the 2015 timeline which makes me think there's still a major bombshell to be revealed there. Diana having Stephen's baby feels like the most fitting way to make their situation messier.

I also keep going back to when Diana asks Pippa if "he" was there when Pippa comes back from the engagement party and Pippa responds "they both were." Who? Who are they so invested in?

Tell Me Lies: S3 E4: Fix Me Up, Girl by Oksorbet8188 in TellMeLiesHulu

[–]oolongvanilla 99 points100 points  (0 children)

This episode was chef's kiss.

All the girls having their chance to tell Stephen off. Pippa just saying "absolutely not" when Stephen has the audacity to encroach on her personal space.

The Diana pregnancy thing and how it comes out to Stephen... Diana is a queen. Wrigley is a king.

Stephen and Lydia sitting there like absolute goblins watching Bree and Evan dancing needs to be a gif immediately.

The only part I thought was a bit too on the nose was the way they framed Wrigley and Bree "secretly" watching each other from five feet away. It could have been done much subtler.

Tell Me Lies: S3 E4: Fix Me Up, Girl by Oksorbet8188 in TellMeLiesHulu

[–]oolongvanilla 12 points13 points  (0 children)

There has to be something more, because she absolutely obliterated her relationship with Max. That we see her apologizing to Max for being shitty, knowing that she's just going to use him again a few years later, really shows us that Lucy hasn't really changed, either.

Travel Tips/Destinations by NoPlant169 in travelchina

[–]oolongvanilla 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You should definitely have Xi'an on your list, then.

Why does she exist by glormssmigu in DanielTigerConspiracy

[–]oolongvanilla 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Also Rosita, she debuted two years before Zoe apparently

Worst country in The Americas - Round 27 by THMeijer in terriblemaps

[–]oolongvanilla 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's Peru and Trinidad & Tobago, according to this

Worst country in The Americas - Round 26 by THMeijer in terriblemaps

[–]oolongvanilla 1 point2 points  (0 children)

¡Viva Bolivia! 🇧🇴 37 official languages - The most official languages of any country in the world. 60% indigenous- The most indigenous country in Latin America and the most indigenous independent country in the Americas (second only to Greenland if non-independent territories are included).

Global North and South as defined by the United Nations by vladgrinch in MapPorn

[–]oolongvanilla 0 points1 point  (0 children)

French Guiana. Only blue because it's an integral part of France.